Electric can opener



De.'27,1932. E, MCCOLLOM 1,892,582

ELECTRIC CAN OPENER Filed Aug. 11, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 l I L o \av 19 I Inventor I224 zh-zl 'fla ilom M Dec. .27, 1932- E, L. MCCOLLOM 1,892,582

ELECTRIC CAN OPENER i Filed Aug. 11, 1 9s1 4 Sheets-Shee t 2 Inventor 227d .5 in /0220222 llomey Q Dec. 27, 1932. I MCCOLLOM I 1,892,582

ELECTRIC'CAN OPENER Filed Aug. 11; 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 27,1932. Mc LL M 1,892,582

ELECTRI 0 CNN OPENER Filed Aug. 11, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 2 T Q Inventor 7 Z174? L121" 1222 f! ltorney Patented Dec. 27,1932 1 i i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELZA L. MCCOLLOM, OF VILLA. GROVE, ILLINOTfi ELECTRIC CAN OPENER Application filed. August 11, 1931. Serial No. 556,442.

The object of this invention is to provide a mitted through gearing 13' to a shaft 16 that device for opening cans, whereby to faciliis equipped with a beveled pinion 17. Pinion tate and minimize the labor usually required 17 is in mesh with an annular beveled gear for openin cans by manually operated tools 18 provided on the bottom of a hollow turnas is now t e common practice. table 19, See Fig. 7 Turntable 19 is suit- A still further object of the invention is ably journalled on the upper portion of a to provide a motor driven can opener capable standard'20, and through the medium of the of bein used for opening cans of varying shaft and gearing arrangement just desize, an which will permit of the opening of scribed, is driven from the electric motor 12. the can with little or no danger of injury to The turntable 19 is arranged in alinement 60 the operator, will insure a complete removal wlth a circular opening 21 provided in the of the top of the can, consists of comparalid- 11. tively few parts, not likely to easily get out The turntable 19 on the top thereof is proof order, is thoroughly practical and eflicient vlded with a metallic wear plate 22 and is in operation, and otherwise well adapted for also provided with a circular rim 23 that is 65 the pur o int nd d, separate from the turntable, and on its inner Other objects and advantages of the invenperiphery engages vertical rollers 24 artion will be apparent from a study of the ranged in a circular series adjacent the pefollowing, taken in connection with the acripheral edge of the wear plate 22. The plate companying drawings wherein: and rollers are attached to the table. 0

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the can Supported on the upper edge of the rim opener. 23 is a disk like sectional can supporting Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, the plate 25 that is provided with a plurality of lid of the casing being removed. a radial slots '26 through which extend posts Figure 3 is a transverse sectional eleva- 27 provided on the outer ends of sliding barstional view taken substantially on the line 28 arranged to slide radially inwardly and 33 of Figure 1. outwardly with respect to the axis of the Figure 4 is a similar view taken substanturntable 19. tially on the'line H of Figure 2. Theba-rs 28 are slidable in the ends of Figur 5 i f ag ntary d tail ectional sleeves 29 arranged in the center of the turnelevational view of a rotatable drum and table, and in the present instance, the sleeves lly bl b k d i o i t d are of cruciform arrangement, being pressed th ith, upwardly from a plate 30 bolted or otherwise Fi 6 i t P1811 i w f a t t bl securedto the wear plate 22 so that the sleeves 85 the can supporting disk being removed. m W h the l Figure 7 is a transverse sectional iew each bar 28 there is provided a rod 3]. t k b t ti ll 'th li 7 7 f Fi that extends through a diagonally disposed u 6, sleeve 32 extending through the post 27 of 40 Figure 8 is a fragmentary detail sectional the bar 28.

elevational view showing the dog and ratchet E h r 31 has a slightly curved end 31a 90 means for securing the jaws at the desired suitably secured to the rim 23, and a lateral adjustment. j end 316 secured in a suitable manner to the With reference more in detail'to the drawrim 23. From the foregoing it will be apings, it will be seen that 10 designates genparent, that when the rim 23 is rotated relaerally a box-like casing provided with a retive to the turntable, or the turntable is romova'ble cover 11. tated relative to the rim, a radial shifting of Suitably arranged in the casing is an electhe bars 28 will be efiected. trio motor 12 which drives a shaft 13 jour- To the ends 316 of the rods 31 are secured nalled in bearings 14 through the medium of as at 34 the ends of springs 35 that are angearing 15. Power from shaft 13 is transchored as at 36 adjacent the rollers 2A. The

springs 35 normally urge the rim 23 to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction relative to the turntable 19.

On the upper end of each post 27, is a gripping jaw 37 that is provided with an arcuate toothed edge 38.

From what has been hereinbefore stated, it will be apparent that the jaws 37 are normally disposed radially outwardly with respect to the center of the turntable, and to move the jaws 37 into gripping engagement with a can supported on the center of plate 25, the turntable 19 is rotated while the rim 23 remains stationary thus causin a radial inward shifting movement of the iars 28 in the manner hereinbefore described, inward movement of the bars 28 being limited only by the diameter of the can engaged by the jaws 37 Rim 23 is 'held stationary while the turntable 19 rotates to efi'ect an engagement of the jaws with the can, in the following manner. In the corner of the box 10 is suitably mounted a bracket 39 in which is rotatably supported on a vertical axis 40, a drum 41. See Figs. 2 and 3. A brake band 42 is disposed about the periphery of the drum 41 and is anchored at one end as at 43. The free end of the band 42 is suitably connected to an adjusting screw 44 extending through an end wall 10a of the casing, and having a wing nut 45 threadedly engaged therewith. On the top of the drum 41 ad acent the periphery thereof is a circular series of stops or rollers 46.

An arcuate rack bar 47 is secured at its ends as at 48 to the rim 23, and at one end the rack bar 47 is provided with a lateral projection or abutment 49 suitably shaped to engage the rollers 46.

The rack bar 47 extends through a sleeve 50 suitably mounted on the peripheryof the turntable 19, and pivotally mounted on the sleeve is a spring pressed dog 51 normally engaged with the teeth of the ratchet bar 47.

See Fig.8.

Now, assuming that the jaws 37 are in their radially outward position, and the can to be opened, shown in broken lines in Figure 1 and designated generally by the reference character 0, is properly positioned on the plate 25. Motor 12 is energized, causin the turntable 19 to rotate in a clockwise mediately upon the starting of the motor 12, adjusting screw 44 is adjusted to cause the band 42 to engage the drum 41 sothat thedrum is held against rotation.

As is apparent from a study of Figure .2, turntable 19 and rim 23 will rotate as a un1t until the projection 49 engages a roller 46 arranged in the path of movement of the projection. Upon engagement of the pro ectlon 49 with a roller 46, the rim 23-will be held against rotation, while the turntable 19 will continue to revolve. As the turntable 19 con-" irection. Im-

tinues to revolve, it will be apparent, that sleeve 50 will move relative to the ratchet bar, and springs 35 will be caused to expand, while sleeves 32 will be caused to move along the rods 31 toward the right in Figure 6 causing the bars 28 to move inwardly until the toothed edges 38 of jaws 37 are in gripping engagement with the can C. v

The time required for effecting a shifting of the jaws into engagement with the can, will be almost negligible, so that immediately the jaws are in contact with the can, screw 44 is adjusted in a reverse direction for movin the band 42 out of engagement with the retained in the angular adjustment it has now assumed with respect :to turntable 19, through the medium of the dog 51 engaging rack bar 47, the turntable 19 and rim 23 will now be free to rotate as a unit, the extension 49 engaging the rollers 46 merely causing the' drum 41 to rotate without in any Wise imparting 'rotative action of the rim 23. I

A push button 52 operable vertically through a suitable opening provided therefor in the cover plate 11, is connected in any suitable manner with the dog 51 and obviously, after the opening of the can has been completed, and the current to the motor 12 is shut off for stopping the turntable 19, the dog 51 is moved out of engagement with the rack bar 47 by merely pressing down on the push button 52. When dog 51 is thus moved out of engagement with the rack bar 47, it will be apparent that the rim 23, under action of the springs 35 will rotate in an anti-clockwise direction in Figure 6 relative to the turntable 19, thus causing the bars 28 to move radially outwardly with respect to the turntable, and the jaws 37 moving in a corresponding direction with the bars will of course move out of engagement with the can, permitting the open can to be moved from the disk 25.

rum 41. Thus the rim 23 beingable knife or cutting blade 58 through the medium of suitable bolt and nut means 59' engaged with said opposed end of the clamp like portion 57.

The sleeve 53 is rotatable about the axis of the bar 54 for moving the cutting element 58 into and out of engagement with the top of the can.

Sleeve 53 is retained against longitudinal shifting movement when the cutter is engaged with the can through means of a suitable guide device, which in the present instance comprises a pair of suitably mounted pivotally connected arms 59 and 60, each of which at its free end is equipped with a roller 61 engageable with the peripheral wall of the can.

The arms are normally urged toward the can through the medium of suitable spring means 62.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that When the can has been clamped in position on the disk 25, the arm 56 is swung downwardly so that the knife blade 58 is forced into the top of the can adjacent the periphcry of the can. Obviously the knife remains stationary as the can rotates, thus severing the top of the can in an arc of a circle, and when the can has completed one full revolution the top portion of the can may be removed.

Sleeve 53 is readily shiftable longitudinally on bar 54 to accommodate cans of varying diameters. i

A suitable control switch 63 for the motor 12 is mounted on a side wall of the casing 10 so that one may have ready control of the operation of the can opener.

Even though I have herein shown and described the preferred-embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of-further changes, modifications and improvements coming within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A can opener comprising in combination a turnta le, driving means therefor, a

rim for the turntable capable of rotation relative thereto, a plurality of bars slidably mounted on the turntable radially relative thereto, a can engaging jaw on each bar, a rod extending obliquely through each bar and secured at its ends to said rim, a spring for each rod anchored to the turntable andsecured at one end to one end of its rod, means for imparting rotation to the turntable relative to the rim to cause said bars to move radially in one "direction relative to the turntable,and said springs being adapted to cause said rim to rotate rela'tiveto the turntable upon release of the last named means whereby to cause said'bars to move radially relative to the turntable in an opposite direction.

unit, and means to the turntable upon releaseof said dog and turntable within the confines of said rim and constrained to move radially relative to the turntable, and means connecting said work engaging elements with the rim for efiecting a shifting movement of said elements upon relative movement of said turntable and rim.

3. A can opening machine comprising in combination a turntable, driving means therefor, a rim for the table separate therefrom, dog and ratchet means locking the rim to the table to rotate as a unit, radially shiftable can engaging elements mounted on the turntable, means connecting said elements with the rim, manually operable releasable means to hold the rim fixed during rotation of the turntable whereby to cause said can engaging members to move radially inwardly-into gripping engagement with the can to be retained in engagement with the can during rotation of the rim and turntable as a for rotating the rim relative ratchet means and in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the turntable whereby to cause said can engaging member to move out of engagement with the can.

4. In a device of the character described, a rotatable element, a plurality of jaws mounted thereon and shiftable radially thereto, an annular member concentric to said rotatable member, rods connected with said annular member, said jaw member having sli-dable engagement with said rods, spring means normally urging said annular member to rotate in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said rotatable member whereby to cause a shifting of the jaws in one direction, releasable means normally connecting said annular member and saidrotatable member to rotate as a unit, and being operable to permit the rotatable member to rotate relative to the annular member, re-

2. In a device of the character described, a

a turntable, a rim' therefor and separable therefrom, a sleeve fixedly mounted on the turntable, an arcuate rack bar extending through the sleeve and secured at its ends to the rim, 9. spring pressed pivotally mounted dog on the sleeve engagea bar to normally retain said rim and turntable in fixed relation to rotate an. unit, work engaging elements mountedjon the le with the rack whereof I afiix my signature. 

